Shalom Doves,
There have been many posts in recent weeks..even months on preaching repentance.

Repentance and the cleansing Blood of Jesus is indeed the most powerful weapons in setting the captives free from sin and their/our souls from sinful lives.

I want to add a precursor to repentance.

--CONVICTION-- of sin.

I always pray for the Holy Spirit to convict the hearts and minds of people that they WOULD repent.

I often pray Psalm 51:10 for people (especially my loved ones).  "O LORD JESUS create in them a clean heart and renew a right spirit within them.  Purify their minds, their thoughts, their desires for a broken and a contrite heart Thou will not despise.
Father.  Sanctify them by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Living Word of God, by the Power of Your Holy Spirit to Your Glory and Praise."

I pray this for myself too when I feel discouraged and find myself murmuring or angry in my flesh.

The world needs their conscience, their hearts, their minds, their desires to be convicted.

Preaching repentance without the conviction of sin is not going to be effective in and of itself.  I am reminded of pulpit preachers who scream "REPENT!!!" to deaf ears and blind eyes and hardened hearts.

People need to feel convicted of sin.  They also need to realize they have a VOID in their spirit.  And they are trying  to fill this void through drinking, drugs, immoral sex, materialism, money, excessive entertainment etc...

They need to realize JESUS fills their void.  He came that we would have Life and have it more abundantly.  He told the woman at the well if she drank from the WATER HE would give her, she would never thirst again.  Jesus is the Water of Life.  He quenches our thirst and replaces our taste buds so we hate the things He hates (SIN) and loves the things He loves.  He transforms our lives. He reveals to us our High Calling in Christ.  He fills us us with Hope and Joy unspeakable FULL of Radiant Glory.  He fills us with inner peace that surpasses ALL understanding.

Let us give people a convincing reason to repent. And let us pray they will truly want to repent, a desire to be set free from the strongholds of their lives and to desire for Christ to change them to be the person God created them to be.

Blessings to all!!  Come quickly Lord Jesus....even Today.

Carol Garza